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Category Archives: pamily
Olympia Washington, Part 1
We went to Olympia, Washington a couple of weeks ago to go to an outdoor music festival and celebrate our anniversary. I used to have family living in Oly and there was a period of a few years in the 90s where I was up there almost every weekend and had so many memorable adventures.
I love Oly and I can’t remember the last time I spent any time there.
I happy to report: it is the land that time forgot. At least superfically, it has changed very little. Lots of cool little shops, tons of fun places to eat, beautiful scenery.
We went to the farmers’ market and I got this amazing panzanella salad with lots of fresh fruit, little bread slices, savory green salad with parmesan curls and a fruit vinaigrette that was not all cloying or overly sweet. It so delicious.
This is a new and smaller location than last time I was there but Orca Books is still a fabulous and well-curated bookstore. I don’t know why I am standing so weird in this photo.
I have more Oly photos and stories for later. As per my entire life, I had a computer problem I had to solve when I sat down and by the time I finished I didn’t have a lot of time and I am rushing to post this.
Sprechen Sie?
My dad gets a small German pension, or I should say he did get a small German pension. Every year they send a proof of life form and last year I did the form and called a mobile notary to come over and give it an official stamp and then I mailed it. Dad got one pension check and then they stopped.
I emailed all the documents again. I wrote a snail mail. I sent all the POA documents in case they needed power of attorney to deal with me. I emailed all the documents again. No response.
I had pretty much given up. What else could I do?
Then, I got a letter at my house addressed to me that said I need to do a proof of life form. While I was navigating this packet, I found a letter at Dad’s apartment from them explaining that they couldn’t mail him his pension checks because they had been returned as undeliverable.
Can we all just pause for a second on this? Let’s send a letter to the address where we’re telling you we can’t send things.
I filled out all the paperwork, got all the signatures, gathered all the things they wanted. I also took a picture of Dad holding their letter: that’s Proof of Life.
According to the instructions you can submit this all online but it’s not in English. FINE. I understand a little plus its 2024. We have Google Translate.
I commence with the website. There are lots of things to translate. It was a long and tedious process but also kind-of funny because it was like all the aggravation of doing a bureaucratic process via a confusing-to-navigate website, but also frantically cutting and pasting back and forth with Google Translate.
Inevitably, I got to the part where I had to “choose one” to tell them what form I was completing and you’ll never guess what happened? Mine wasn’t one of the choices. The form that I was filling was not there. But I had to translate about 16 choices to be sure. If you asked AI to go through every episode of I Love Lucy and then write an episode where Lucy needs to use Google Translate — this is what it would come up with.
I gave up for now. I’m going to try again after I’ve reviewed all the paperwork again and my brain is fresh.
Time and Tilt
A couple of years ago I found these big xmas lights in the xmas box. They were too much for the tree but I draped them over this cabinet. Even then they were a bit much so I unscrewed light bulbs until I had it at the level I wanted.
Turned out, I liked having this source of lighting better than a lamp. In the evenings when I watch TV I like a little bit of light and this is just perfect.
Later I put it on a timer so it comes on for a couple hours in the evening and is timed to go off right at bedtime. And it comes on for an hour or so in the morning.
As the light changes with the time of year, I adjust the timer. As we head into winter I add more and more time and as we move back to summer I change to shorter and shorter. In June we don’t even use it.
If you look in the background of the top photo in the very top left, you can see the little lights I have on in my room. I like little lights.
I am headed down to Orleans to visit Mom and check out the scene down there. Photos when I return.
In Memoriam – Uncle Barry
All of us out on business
Auntie’s 50th Birthday surprise party
Camping in the Olympic rain forest.(We were out there long enough to set up our tents, have a nice hike, eat a campe dinner, get rained on, pick up camp and go home.)
Uncle Barry cracking us up with one of his hilarious stories.
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Bye Uncle Barry
Look at these hot young kids. My mom and auntie! Too bad my dad’s looking a little stoned. I’m sure it was just bad timing.
What a life! Born in Boyd, Texas. Worked for federal highways and lived all over the country: D.C., Boise, Denver, Juneau, Olympia.
Huge family that loved him and that he loved.
He has been such a huge part of my life since I was a little kid. I can’t believe he’s not in the world anymore. 😢
I have a favorite print photo of me standing on Uncle B’s shoulders on a camping trip. If I can find it, I’ll scan and post at some future date.
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Another Poor Trip Log, Different Trip
Just hint of the unfathomable destruction from the Slater Fire (2020) from our view driving over Greyback Road. There are no words. I was stunned and the further we drove, the worse it got. There are spots where as far as you can see, there are just sticks — the remains of the trees are just sticks. You can’t even believe it’s real. There were moments when it looked like bad CGI. So heartbreaking.
The weekend after we went to Chicago we went to Orleans for a family wedding. On this trip I also took few photos and fewer notes.
(photo by Aileen Wilder, amateur Photoshop by me, hehe)
The wedding was beautiful and fun and a wonderful celebration but also very rainy with mud. It was great to be with family and so fun to see all the kids having such a great time together.
(photo by Bob Hughes)
The canopy was rigged at the last minute using a covering for a greenhouse — but it was magnificent.
Back at the house, the dogs in a rare moment, at rest. Photo and amateur Photoshop by me.
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Things I’m Overwhelmed with At The Moment
Check out this cool car I saw downtown. That’s like two parking spots. How do you think they garage it? When I was in 5th grade my friend’s mom had a car like that only gold.
- You’ve heard it before: my photos. I have a particular way I organize my photos which is not particularly organizational and I don’t want to change. But also I don’t know what’s what. Now I’ve been on two back-to-back trips and there are zillions of photos and I can’t decide what to do with them.
- Ants — we have just enough ants to know there is a problem but not enough ants to find out where the problem is. I have been creeping around the kitchen with a flashlight looking in all the cupboards and corners.
Ticket partner and I were on TV. That was the best part of the game. Our poor team is pretty sad this season.
- The yard. Oh my. Another oldie but true: I either have weather and no time and time and no weather. I love the rain. I’m not complaining about it but it seems like when I finally have time to get out there, it’s too wet to work. The weeds are tremendous. I am looking at the weather for the rest of the week and thinking I might fiddle with my schedule a bit and come home early on one of the nicer days and get some work done.
This is the park-n-ride when I arrive. I have been parking in the same spot since I went back to work during the pandemic around February 2021 — and I arrive the other morning and there is someone in MY SPOT. The whole parking lot is open – why my spot?
- My list — I have a list that says to consolidate the lists. Other than that I don’t know where to start.
These are my shoes after the Great Mud Wedding of June 2022. The Bride, Groom, and family were beautiful. The event was super fun and hopefully I will have something about the trip up here soon.
I cleaned up the shoes this morning but I’m still not sure if they will ever be the same again. We shall see.
Finally, the current progress on Part 2 of the Project of Forever. Didn’t get much done due to travel.
14234 / 40000 words. 36% done!
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Wildlife Everywhere
Dad had cataract surgery last week. The recovery wasn’t quite as smooth as we anticipated but the healing continues.
I spent some time in his room at the retirement home with him and there is this high-pitched whining sound that goes on for extended lengths of time.
I finally asked Dad if it bothered him but whatever the frequency is, his hearing is gone. When the nurse came by for the covid check she made a face: “What is that noise?”
She poked around trying to figure out its source. (I think it has to do with water use upstairs.)
Dad said, another care worker at the retirement home heard the noise and sent maintenance and the maintenance guy couldn’t hear anything.
The nurse said: “Maybe we can get one of his younger helpers who hasn’t had his ears blown out by working around heavy machinery come up here and listen.”
I laughed because Dad also worked around heavy machinery. As of right now, there is no resolution.
Once or twice a day Dad likes to take a lap around the retirement home and he feeds nuts to the squirrels. As soon as we appeared the squirrels scampered closer.
Dad had emptied the storage pouch on his walker because we were getting it in and out of the car for our doctor appointments so sadly we had nothing for the critters.
Meanwhile, they were following along the path.
Every time I stopped to take a picture they would run closer. I repacked a supply into the walker for next time.
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Old Married People
This is from 2002 when Erin ran with the torch. Photo Credit: Aunt Aileen.
Today we are married 24 years. I’d post a more recent photo but I can’t find a good one right now.
Soothes The Eyes
This belonged to my grandfather’s father on my mom’s side. I had the original for a short time and scanned it.
I’m tempted to research these people and transcribe all the pages but don’t want to get sidetracked from other projects I need to take care of today.
G-Gpa was in Orleans, CA. Weitchpec is downriver on Yurok rez. Catameen, now more familiarly spelled Katamin, is upriver where the Salmon River meets the Klamath. It is a ceremonial place known as the center of the world.
I should probably put this as a table but I’m too lazy. My best guess at transcribing:
Expense Acct.
June 8, 1927
Pd to Mrs. Dr. Domingo Weitchpec
on deposit in advance $20.00
Cost of this Mem. Book .10
Stamped Envelopes .55
Writing Tablet .30
June 8th. Trip in Ford to Weitchpec
with Philip Donahue to hire
Medicine Woman Mrs. Domingo
June 21. Trip in Ford to Weitchpec to see
Tommy Peters with P. Donahue
June 30. Trip to Catameen to get
Mrs. Fritz Hanson. Phillips
Mother & load things
June 30. Will Ferris makes trip
to Weitchpec to get Mrs. Domingo Dr. Pd. 5.00
June 28. Stamped Envelopes .55
26.50
